The Mystery of Bellwicket Manor
by HanaTsukiakari
Summary: This story takes place after episode 51. WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NO FINISHED THE SERIES. Edward is trapped on the other side of the gate and is desprate to get back to AL. On his quest back to his world, he finds a pair of orphaned sibli
1. Chapter 1

Fullmetal Alchemist

Getting back to the other side

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of the original characters.

**WARNING**: Major spoiler for anyone who has not seen the entire series. Episodes 1-51.

Edward Elric woke up April 21st in North London, Britain 1923 to a loud banging on his door. 'I'm coming' he yelled as he slowly walked up to the door, eye half open.

'Here your post sir,' said a small boy in cockney. Ed handed him a pound, took the mail then closed the door. He looked down at the letter in his hand and read the 'from' address; Hoenhiem Elric from somewhere in Germany. He opened the letter and read it aloud.

_Dear Edward:_

_I am currently in Germany on my way up to London. I've found some interesting books while here on magic that I think you should read. Also, I was told be a German scholar that there is a private library in north London that actually has reliable research on alchemy dating back 300 years. It owned by an orphaned brother and sister. It should be a largest house on Bellwicket Road. Go and check it out and I should arrive in London in three days time._

_Sincerely _

_Your father_

Edward folded up the letter and hid it under his mattress along with the other letter his father sent him. Magic was still illegal to practice in Britain and practitioners could be charged with witchcraft. 'Might as well check it out before he gets here' he said to himself. 'I'll do whatever it takes to get back to Al.' it has been three years sense Edward was sent to other side of gate with no way to get back. Every day he wondered how al was doing. If everyone thought he was dead. Seeing Al was the only thing that kept Edward going these days. Three years of research by both him and his father had brought them a lot of disappointments.

Despite his greatest efforts, he still could not use alchemy in this world. While Edward tried to find ways to us alchemy, his father was busy searching for other methods of magic. While studying in Egypt, he had found spells to grow skin on top of his rotting body. His legs were very weak and often used a wheelchair for fear that his leg would fall off from the rotting. He knew he had very little time left in the world so he wanted to spend every waking moment trying to find a way to get Edward back to other side.

Edward walked out of the inn he had been staying in for the past two months and caught a taxi. 'Where to mate?' asked the driver.

'Er, take me to the biggest house on Bellwicket road,' said Edward

'Roger,' said the driver.

'It only took 15 minutes to get there and it indeed was the biggest house on the road. In fact, it was the biggest house he had seen in North London. He was used to seeing inns and flats (apartments) that he wasn't sure that there were any houses in North London. It looked like it came straight out of horror novel. The house was more like a gothic manor complete large black gates and gargoyles. Ed paid the driver and got out of the taxi.

'Are you sure this is where you meant to be dropped off?' the driver asked staring at him.

'Yeah, this is it,' said Ed and the driver shook his head and drove off.

Ed stared at the large black gates then he suddenly had a flash of the black gate to the other side before he tripped over a rock and hit his head on the cement. The last thing h remembered were the gates opening before he passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Ed woke up with a girl standing over him. 'Winry?' he whispered

'Sorry, no,' said the girl. Ed rubbed his eyes and stared up at her. 'My name is Delilah.' Ed sat up. Delilah was a short girl with long curly red hair and green eyes. 'And you are?'

'Oh, sorry, I'm Edward Elric.'

'Well, welcome to Bellwicket manor Edward.' said Delilah and Ed looked around the large room, which was filled, with what looked like potion bottles. There had to be a thousand of them.

'Sorry, I would have brought you to a bed but you're a bit too heavy and my potions room is on the ground floor,' said Delilah

'No problem,' said Ed standing up. 'You certainly have a lot of potions.'

'It's kind of my life,' said Delilah. 'Not much else to do in this big house. So anyway, what brings you to my manor?'

'Oh, I was er,'

'You weren't here to steal were you?' Delilah asked and Ed turned around to face her. 'Oh no of course not,' said Ed 'I was actually hoping if I could take a look at your library?.' He knew how stupid he sound saying it but the words still came out. She stared at him aghast.

' You came here just to see my library?' she asked in disbelief 'not a very clever thief are you?'

'I told you I'm not a thief,' said Ed angrily

'So you really expect me to believe that you came here just to see my library?' and Ed nodded 'okay lets have a deal, either you leave now or you leave with Scotland Yard, your choice.' And she headed towards the door.

'Please, wait, I just wanted to see your books on alchemy,' he said quickly and Delilah turned around, her eyes wide open.

'Who told you I had books on alchemy?' she asked thunderstruck.

'Someone just tipped me off,' said Ed.

'And what's your interest in alchemy huh?' Delilah asked her hands on her hips.

'I've always been into alchemy but my books are very recent. I'm looking for more older books.' He lied, saying the first thing that came to his mind. He couldn't very well tell her truth.

She stared at him quizzically. 'You're accent is funny. Where are you from?'

'America.' He said quickly. He father told him to tell people that he is from America whenever he was asked.

'Oh,' she nodded. 'I'll have to ask my brother first but I think it will be okay to let you read a few books. But you won't be able to take them out of the house mind you.'

'of course,'

'Bastien?' she called and within minutes a large man walked into the lab. He was tall with caramel skin, big broad shoulders, small but very stern looking eyes and a hint of a mustache. There was something familiar about him but he was sure he had never seen the man before, at least not in this world.

'What is it?' he asked 'and who is that?'

'This is Edward Elric, Bas.'

Bastien did a double take at Ed upon hearing his name.

'What's wrong Bas?' His sister asked

'Nothing, it's just. Your last name. I'm sure I've heard it before. Are you English?' he asked

'No he's American.' Said Delilah. She went on to explain how he got in the house but Bastien just started at Ed suspiciously. Ed was on edge. Could it be possible that this man knew who he was? 


	3. Chapter 3

'No he's American.' Said Delilah. She went on to explain how he got in the house but Bastien just started at Ed suspiciously. Ed was on edge. Could it be possible that this man knew who he was? 'And he was wondering if he could take a look at some of our books on alchemy. Bas?'

'Oh yeah, sure he can take a look at _some_ of them,' said Bastien finally 'I have to go somewhere but I will be back.'

'Where are you going?' Delilah asked

'Research for Uncle's **project**,' he answered with giving her a knowing look and she nodded.

'Of course, do fill me in on your findings when you return.' And with a nod to her and Ed, he left. ' Alright then, let's go to the library.'

The two of them left the lab and headed to a pair of large wooden doors. She pulled open one and then the other to reveal a library so big; he could not see the other side of the wall. Ed's jaw dropped as he looked up to see that the shelves appeared over 12 feet tall.

'It's the biggest room in the house,' said Delilah looking at his reaction. My mother and father had this room made especially for all their books. The lab downstairs was added after. There are only 6 bedrooms and you could fit 5 of them in here.'

'Are all these books on alchemy?'

'More or less,' said Delilah. 'My parents were deeply involved with alchemy. They were revered as the pioneers of alchemic research in Europe.'

'Were?' Ed repeated and she looked down sadly.

'My parents are gone, dead.'

'I'm…I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my mother when I was very young.' Delilah looked up at him.

'My parents died almost 3 years ago.'

'And you live here with your Uncle?' Ed asked and she shot him an odd look.

'My Uncle? Oh no, it's just my brother and I.' She said uneasily. ' Why don't you take a look around.'

Ed walked around and headed to the shelf nearest to him. All of the books on this shelf were for beginners in alchemy. 'Do you have more advance books on alchemy?'

'Yes of course, follow me.'

They walked all the way to the back of the room, which hid the smallest shelf in the library. There were only about 40 volumes. But one of them stood out among the others. It was the largest book on the shelf and on the spine was a lion and a few other symbols. There was too much dust on it for him to see it completely. He reached for it but stepped back when Delilah stood directly in front of it.

'Er, that's just a family album.' She said quickly 'the symbol is our family crest. Is there something in particular that you are looking for?'

'I need old alchemy. I mean older books on alchemy. Rare books.'

'Ah, come with me,' Delilah started towards the middle of the room and then turned a corner to reveal two wall-like shelves of books. There was something about Delilah and her family that she was trying to keep hidden. Ed picked that up when her brother gave her that weird look right before he left. He did not want to press the issue since he was willing to help him. What he did not at the time was that this girl's family secret held the key to him getting back to the other side.

"here are some pretty ancient books on alchemy," said Delilah pointing to large stack of books that looked like they were falling apart. "Some of these date back as far as the Italian alchemist of the Renaissance. Here, I find this one to be most useful." She handed him a small vellum book labeled in Latin.

"I can't read Latin," Ed stated staring bleakly at the book

"Don't worry. You won't have to. As long as you can read the names of the chemicals. The alchemy described in these books is very old. They didn't use Transmutation circles back then,"

The last part of that sentence caught Ed by surprise. He stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"You..you.." he stammered "You know what a transmutation circle is?"

"Of course I do," she said as if the question were meant as a joke. "Couldn't call myself an alchemist if I didn't."

'This is exactly the lead I was looking for,' Ed thought to himself. 'she may just be able to help me'

"Have you been able to do alchemy with a transmutation circle?" he asked eagerly but she looked somber.

"Not even once has it worked. That kind of alchemy just doesn't seem to work in this world. Er, not that there is another kind of world," she added quickly "It's just, well. Some of the places described in the more advanced alchemy books don't seem to exist. My brother and I researched many of the famous alchemist we read about but no one has heard of either them or the places we read about."

"Like who?" Ed asked his hopes rising. 'If she possess books about alchemist in his world, then someone in her family must have gotten the books from the other side.'

"It's not important and to tell you the truth I don't think my brother would like me talking about this with you," she said looking worried. "I know, why I don't I demonstrate some of the alchemy used in these books? I can assure you it's like nothing you have ever seen."

Delilah guided him back into the laboratory. She pulled out a wooden staff and set it down on a table. Then she pulled 3 potions from the shelf. "Alight Edward, prepare to be amazed. I am going to turn this wooden staff into a metal one." Delilah opened one potion, and then poured on the wooden staff, which disintegrated right before his eyes. She then opened the two other bottles then simultaneously poured them onto the remains of the wooden staff. Within seconds the staff began to reform but this time, it was a shiny metallic staff. "Viola." Ed mouthed noiselessly as he stared at the staff. 'It was alchemy, real alchemy. Three years of research and he finally found alchemy being used in this world.

"How…how did you do that?"

"It's quite simple really. First I destruct the original item, then pour then reforming potion and a potion containing the chemical analyses of the item I am trying to create simultaneously. There is of course a little magic involved because you have to concentrate on exactly what you are creating. Yes it takes longer than using transmutation circles but it's still quite efficient. Er Ed, are you alright?"

Ed was lost in his own thoughts. What she had showed him was alchemy that was used hundreds of years ago but it was better than what he expected. Delilah stared at him, concern written on her face. "Huh? Oh yes I'm fine. You were right, it is unlike anything I've seen before." He said truthfully.

"Why don't you take that book with you and read more about this kind of alchemy," she said gesturing to old book she had giving him in the library. "Oh and take this as well." She handed him a letter bound notebook. "Those are all my notes of this particular kind of alchemy. It also has all of my experiments in them and a list of every potion I posses. Read both then come back and show me what you've learned."

Ed shook his head. "Thank you for all your help. You have no idea how helpful you've been?"

"You're welcome. Like I said. Alchemy is my life. Nothing else to do in this large house is there?"

"I guess not,' said Ed "Well I'm off. I will most definitely be coming back." Delilah smiled brightly.

He left the manor and found a taxi back to his flat. He say on is bed for hours reading. With every page he became more and more excited. He felt like a kid again, learning alchemy for the first time. He had to forget everything he had previously learned about alchemy in order to understand this kind of alchemy.


	4. Chapter 4

He left the manor and found a taxi back to his flat. He say on is bed for hours reading. With every page he became more and more excited. He felt like a kid again, learning alchemy for the first time. He had to forget everything he had previously learned about alchemy in order to understand this kind of alchemy.  
Ed spent the whole of the next day reading over Delilah's note and she was a very accomplished scientist and alchemist. The beginning of her notes stalks about her very first experiments. She did the kind of alchemy he and Al used to do as kids. But as he read on she started to perform more advanced alchemy. Her latest project was trying to simplify it. In order to perform alchemy, she needed three different potions. She wanted a way to transmute things more quickly and efficiently. She has already started combing two of the potions and she working on an experiment to make them into a mass rather a liquid which is heavier. Her goal or Hypothesis as she put it, was to able to perform alchemy anywhere. Not just in lab but on a train, in the streets, in the toilets even. The kind of alchemy he's use to but without the use of transmutation circles. Ed was flipping through pages when a sheets of paper fell out of the book. It was Delilah's hand writing but it looked like a diary entry.

_We've been working on this experiment since we arrived here. Bas and I are very close to reaching out ultimate goal of getting back home to where we belong. We've been here so long that I can't even remember what it looks like. I only scarcely remember how to get into town from our house. I've forgotten which train to take to visit Uncle B. at his headquarters. I've even forgotten the faces of our neighbours. Their names elude me and I am afraid that the longer we stay here, the more we forget about home. Will we ever get back? How I miss home and all our country living. How I miss going into town and hearing the clang of auto…_

The rest of the page was ripped off. The sentence had not been finished. Ed stared at the piece of paper, wild things going through his mind. Where was this home she referred to and how does it connect with her experiments? Could she be talking about another world, his world? Just then there was a knock the door.  
"Come in," he said Hoenhiem walked in to find Ed lying on his bed which was covered in books.

"Well this is an interesting sight," he said "You wouldn't believe what I've found," said Ed and he told him everything he heard and saw. Hoenhiem looked impressed.

"I should very much like to meet this girl," he said "There was one thing that has been on my mind since I saw it." Said Ed suddenly

"What"

"Well while we were in her library, I came across a very old book and on the spine of the book was a symbol I can't seem to get out of my head. It looked like a crest with a lion and few other symbols I couldn't make out."

"The book looked very old you say?" Hoenhiem asked and Ed nodded. "What colour was it"

"The book?" Ed asked and Hoenhiem nodded. "It looked almost silver but I'm sure it was just dust." "No the book is indeed silver and I'm surprised you didn't realize what that crest was." said Hoenhiem and Ed looked confused.

"She told me that it was her family crest," said Ed "Not quite," said Hoenhiem "That crest, was the symbol of the State Military before they started letting in alchemist"

Ed started dumbfounded at his father. "You've got to be kidding me"

"Oh no there's no mistaking that book," said Hoenhiem "There is only one in existence"

"What is that book and what does it have to with Delilah and her family?" Ed asked "Well that book is a guide to advanced alchemy which was given to the Fuhrer of the time by a very well known alchemist named Thurston B. Gran." Said Hoenhiem "How Delilah' s parents ended up with that book is beyond me."


End file.
